Dear Anti-Abortion Activists and Christian Conservatives

Hi. Um, it's been a while since we talked. Look, I respect your convictions, share your distaste for destroying life, and generally feel like fetuses are kind of getting the raw end of the stick. (D'you ever get the creeping feeling that its not just a women's right to control her body that's at stake but people's right to consequence-free sex?). And hey excuse the digression, but speaking of destroying life, have you noticed what we're doing to a lot of the animal and plant life of this planet? What do you suppose God thinks of that? Anyways, like I said I respect your convictions... I definitely have a real problem with the methods you're using, though. You're really freaking people out and generating a lot of hatred and enmity. I don't feel like Jesus would really be into that. And speaking of that Jesus guy, have you ever noticed how disinterested he (and any of his apostles) was in using politics, laws, or any form of coercion to change the world? (And they lived in a society that did some pretty atrocious things quite regularly and legally).

I have some suggestions for you. Please hear me out, if you would.

If you really think abortion is wrong, a national tragedy, a silent holocaust, or even just kind of too bad, why don't you try to work on creating a society where young women will face no stigma and negligible disadvantage (social, economic etc.) for getting pregnant and choosing to have their child? Wouldn't that be life-affirming? And why don't you do your bit to create a society where every conceived child was effectively guaranteed a good, loving family -- not because some bureaucratic government made grand statements and created ineffective programs, but because people so loved and valued children that they were willing to look after them and raise them regardless of whose genes they shared? In other words, to be really practical, why don't you adopt a child? I mean, at least one. Let me say it one more time... If you actually care about abortion, why don't you adopt a kid?

Because you know, last I heard, even with a hundred of thousands of abortions every year, there are still a lot of kids that never get adopted, and never have a good, loving family. How many 'good Christian families' do you think there are in Canada? (Not enough to actually take care of those kids, apparently -- sorry did I say that out loud?). And hey, don't you just love that part of the Christian story that's all about how God has adopted us into his family, and gave us a home and all the privelege of being his kids? 'Go and do likewise' eh?

You know, I've noticed that it's easy to rant about the sin and failures of others... it's hard to take a look at yourself and find something constructive to do though. I wish you success on your journey towards doing just that, and hope you wish me the same. (As a matter of fact, this letter has actually been part of my attempt to not get caught in the vicious circle of 'criticize but don't do nothin' . I've tried to reign myself in and not be too off-putting, even as I keep in mind that Jesus tended to be pretty blunt and critical of other religious people -- not the 'sinners' and 'heathen' that he so regularly hung out with). Anyways, I'd love to hear from you and talk to you about some of this stuff, if you're up for it.

With love and cautious respect -- and very sincerely,
Tim Kitz.